Water heater



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PatentecirSept. 30, 1941 WATER HEATER Homer D. Dufault, Easthampton, Mass., assignor to Holyoke Heater Company, Holyoke, Mass., a corporation of' Massachusetts Application January 18, 1940, Serial No. 314,467

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in water heaters and Vis directed more particularly to an improved water heater for utilization within a compartment of a gas range or the like as well as for general uses.

It is a principal object of the invention to providea water heating unit which may be inserted in, and as easily removed from, a compartment of a gas range. Modern gas ranges, such as Yare used for domestic purposes, are invariably provided with open gas burners on the upper side thereof and with both an oven-broiler compartment and one or more other compartments therebelow. It is in one of these latter compartments in which it is intended that the unit of this invention be located. Otherwise the water heater of the invention may be associated with a gas range or the like.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel water-heating unit so arranged that the water therein, as it circulates from theinlet to the outlet of the heater, travels continually on an upgrade. Such an arrangement, as will appear below, is very desirable because it allows one to take'the utmost advantage of the products of combustion so that the water is heated more quickly and efficiently than has heretofore been possible. Also to further this result, there is a means to direct the heat onto and around the water-containing passageways so as to speed up the circulation not only of the hot water but also of the air therearound.

The heating unit of my invention, as will presently appear, may be either automatically or hand-controlled and, as special features of the invention, the device is so constructed as to be compact, sturdy, and neat in appearance. It is especially capable of being easily inserted in a compartment of a range, or the like in such a way as to be out of sight and yet it is so located and` so arranged that water therein may be quickly and readily heated with a maximum degrec of efficiency.

By reason of its special construction, the unit of my invention is adapted to obviate the need for the common hot-water storage tanks which are now found in many kitchens and which have many objections. Such conventional storage tanks are bulky, usually having a thirty gallon or `more capacity, and occupy an undesirably `large amount of space.

`Hot-water heaters heretofore known all have the common objection that in operating them, it is usual to heat them by a separate heater, the same being run by oil, gas, electricity or otherwise, and such heating is very ineflicient and uneconomical. Furthermore, such tanks and heaters are unsightly in their appearance. Ac` cordingly, I have devised a novel means whereby such difficulties and objections are overcome and I accomplish this by the provision of a device which obviates the need for storage tanks of the well-known type.

According to my invention, a water heating and storage unit is provided which not only overcomes `the objections of the conventional storage tanks above `described (in that my device is capable of heating water in a more economical and eflicient manner), but also is adapted to be concealed so that the general appearance of the kitchen in which the device is contained is enhanced. This is accomplished by providing a novelly constructed unit adapted to be inserted in one of the compartments above referred to whereby the conventional use of the unsightly storage tank and the uneconomical heater both of which are now found in many kitchens'is obviated, and furthermore certain otherwise wasted space is utilized to very good advantage.`

The unit of this invention might also be selfcontained in a specially-designed cabinet or the like and it is accordingly not desired to be limited to the specific arrangement about to be described. Its construction is such that water may be heated quickly and economically and it may be readily combined with a compartment of such equipment as has already been mentioned VWithout changing either the appearance or the con-v struction of the latter.

Among other objects of my invention are first, to simplify the construction of a water heater unit; second, to secure a high degree of accuracy in the performance of its work; third, to attain a high degree of speed in construction due to the simplified construction; fourth, to attain a flexibility or a capability of adjustment by which vdifferent types and grades of work may be done with the same machine; fifth, to attain an ease in adjustment and repairs; and sixth, to provide an improved hot-water heater which may be made more economically and with fewer operations in the manufacture of its parts, as Well as in assembly thereof than prior devices known in the art.

With the foregoing and various other novel fea-` tures and advantages .and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts'asl will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claim hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the unit .of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional `elevational View through a unit embodying the novel features of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the unit shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective View which is intended to explain certain features ofV-my invention. Y

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully described. Like numerals refer to like parts in different figures of the drawing.

Preferably,'the unit of my invention isV in direct association ywith the compartment of a kitchen range or stove, but it is to be clearly understood that the unit may be self-contained in a suitable cabinet therefor or that it may be inserted in a compartment of a cabinet sink `or any other piece of kitchen equipment.

A casing of any desired size and shape is provided .and is indicated generally by 2. Preferably thecasing is rectangular `in its shape so as to be readily Vinsertable in a compartment of a gas range which is usually rectangular in shape. The casing has side walls 4,.'a -top wall 6, and front and rear end walls, 8 andy I!! respectively. These walls 4, 6, 6 and IUmay be formed of a sheetV metal and may be secured together in any desired manner.

Y, Associated with the front end wall 8 is a header member I4 having a pair of spaced generally horizontally and inclined passageways. The lowermost of these passageways is indicated by I6 and this is somewhat longer than the uppermost which is designated by the numeral I8.

As is shown in the drawing the uppermost passageway I8 is more or less centrally located relative to Vthe lower one IB thereunder. Also, as is shown in Fig. 2 the lowermost passageway inclines upwardly from its right hand side while the upper one inclines upwardly from its left hand side, all for purposes which will presently more fully be made clear.

Associated with the rear wall Il! is a header member 20 which has a vertical passageay 22 and a pair of spaced ports 24 and 26 therein substantially as shown in Fig. 2. The passageway 22 inclines upwardly and inwardly as shownY in Fig. 4 while the upper` port 26 is inwardly of the lower` port 211,'also for reasons shortly to be described. v

The port 24 may be the Coldwater inlet of the heater andthe port 26 may be the hot water outlet. Preferably inthe rear wall IU, there is ,a ue'outlet 28 for carrying off thegases and other products of combustion. v

A. tubular member 30 extends vfrom the inlet port 24 to the lower or right-hand end of the lower passageway i6, while another tubular member 32 extends from the higher or left-hand end of member I6 to the lower side of vertical passageway 22. j

The members I6 and 22, as well as the member I8, have openings in their opposite ends so that as water enters the inlet 24, it travels through the tube 30, into and around the member I6, out through Ythe tube 32 and into the vertical header part 22. The water then travels upwardly in the member 22, from which it flows into a tube 34 which connects the upper end of the member 22 with the lower or left-hand end of the hollow member I8. Extending between the higher or right-hand end of the header part I8 and the outlet 26 is still another tube 36 substantially as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be noted thatV the Various ports and hollow members or passageways in the heaters are 'so located with respect to one another that the communicating tubes 30, 32, 34 `and 36 all incline upwardly from` their inlet ends. That is to say, water flowing through the tube 3B travels upwardly beginning at its inlet 24 and continues to flow on an upgrade as it passes successively through the member I6, the tube 32, the member 22, the tube 34, the member I8, and the tube 36 from which it goes out the outlet 26 as is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5.

A burner device of any conventional type but preferably of the gasburner type'may be disposed within the casing 2 below the tubesorcoils and it is indicated by B in Figs. .l and 3. In the form shown, it consists of a tubular bar having spaced fins and it is connected to a suitable gas supply.

Preferably, the water-tubes are formed to have extended or spine-like surfaces as is generally indicated by 4S in Fig. 3. Y

YThere may be baffles 42 extending inwardly towards, but spaced from, one'another. These may extend from opposite sidesV of the casing `2 and are disposed above the tubes. They force the combustion products to pass by the tubes 34 and36 so that the heat therein maybe utilized to the fullest possible extent. These baffles` 42 also form a restriction in the flue box which also is of great help to the efi'ciencyof the heat- The quills or fins on the tubes serve to facilitate the transfer of heat to the water while the baffles 42 tend to restrict the upward flow of heat so that the maximum in heating effect is attained.

These quills or ns extend radically from the tubes and are preferably formed of thin metal. While they may varyvin their construction, they preferably consist'of extended surfaces of the tubing itself. That is to say, I preferably provide a spine-like surface on the tubes by extending the parent metal of tubing outwardly from-its wall, as shown. This serves more effectivelyvand efficiently to absorb and transfer the heat.

The wider space between the lower tubes 30 and 3,2, than between the upper tubes 34 and 36, as accounted for by the longer length of the member I6 than of the rmember I3, results in the upward flow of the products of combustion around and between the lower tubes and-then around and onto and between the upper tubes; Thus, it will be seen, that the arrangement 1s such that the water travels continually upwardly in the tubes and that theV tubes are so Ispaced apart and are so located relative to the other parts of the unit as to receive the maximum'amount of heat from the burner, all to the end that great economy and efficiency Vare achieved. Y 7

The horizontau hollow members ls and la preferably have openings for cleaning purposes andthese may be closed by plugs 56 when the device is in operation. Thus, the tubes may be easily cleaned from time to time as is very desrable since foregin deposits, such as lime which is found in water in some communities, have a very objectionable effect on the tubes if allowed to remain therein for a long period of time.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is ydesired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A unitary water heater for insertion in the compartment of a range comprising in combination, connected together vertical end and side and horizontal upper walls providing a closed compartment open at its lower side for a burner, said end walls including a pair of spaced headers, one of said headers provided with lower and upper inlet and outlet openings therethroughV at one side thereof and a substantially vertically extending closed passageway on the outer face thereof at its opposite side with openings leading thereinto at upper and lower ends from the inside face thereof, the other of said headers having lower and upper -substantially horizontal closed passageways on the outer face thereof with openings leading thereinto at opposite ends from the inner face of said header, and tubes connecting the openings of said headers, the openings of the pair of headers being generally opposite one another providing, a continuous water circuit between sai-d inlet and outlet openings including the tubes and openings and passageways of both headers with said openings, the tubes and passageways being relatively elevated and disposed whereby water may circulate alternately through said tubes and passageways and generally upwardly from said inlet to outlet opening, a portion of an end wall extending above the header being provided with a flue opening, and baiies extending inwardly from said side walls above the uppermost tubes but below the iiue opening and having inner marginal edges spaced apart providing a space therebetween.

HOMER D. DUFAULT. 

